yesteryear

American  

[yes-ter-yeer, -yeer] / ˈyɛs tərˈyɪər, -ˌyɪər /

noun

1. last year.

2. the recent years; time not long past.

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adverb

1. during time not long past.

yesteryear British  

/ ˈjɛstəˌjɪə /

noun

1. last year or the past in general

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adverb

1. during last year or the past in general

Etymology

Origin of yesteryear

yester- + year; apparently introduced by D.G. Rossetti (1870) to render Middle French antan (Villon)

Example Sentences

Like the Sirkian melodramas of yesteryear, we go see movies like “Reminders of Him” because they’re highly entertaining — and, more often than not, decently made.

From Salon • Mar. 19, 2026

If Nvidia can emulate that, shareholders will be rewarded, even though it’s not quite the explosive gains of yesteryear.

From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026

It flew past Viljami Sinisalo at a speed that reminded you of what the late, great Gordon McQueen said of his iconic goal against England from yesteryear.

From BBC • Mar. 1, 2026

Mankind advances by tossing aside the trammels of yesteryear, be they religious or monetary.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025

Henry Lee, for example, apprised Madison that the assumption debate reminded him of those glorious days of yesteryear, when the Virginia Assembly refused to recognize Parliament’s right to tax colonies.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis